Annie Nicholas - Bait

Tane tore at the white cotton bed sheets. He examined the wound. “It’s just a graze. Stitches are unnecessary.” With the strips of cloth he made a quick tight bandage around my arm. He sucked my blood off his fingers and shrugged at my horrified expression. “You have a mild flavor.”

The blood oozed through the bandage. I covered it with my hand. “You don’t get seconds.”

Colby had stuck the knife in his waistband. He stared at Tane. “This isn’t a dream?”

“Nothing I say will convince you.”

I stepped to Colby and pressed myself against his bare chest. The physical contact did the trick as he hugged me tight for moment before my boss ’ persona returned and he pushed me away.

I tried to aim him to the staircase.

“Why would he let me go?”

I glared back at Tane. “Is this permanent?”

“No, once he sleeps and eats he should return to normal. Not all our fantasies were bad. You enjoyed some of them, Colby.”

“Stop taunting him.” I pushed Colby harder. “Go up the stairs, I’ve got a row boat. Red’s waiting for us.”

At the mention of Red’s name he straightened up. “You didn’t answer my question, Tane.”

“Connie is willing to trade a service for your life. I think it’s profitable enough of a deal.”

“No, I won’t allow her to do anything for you. I’ll stay.”

I paused in my pushing efforts, not believing my ears. “Are you nuts?”

He gazed into my eyes. “I won’t have you making deals with this bastard.”

“Well, well, all my dreams have come true. I guess our deal is off then Rabbit. You’ll have to figure out how to save Rurik on your own.” Tane stood and sauntered toward Colby.

I felt him stiffen next to me.

“Enough. Colby, listen to me. I have to do this.” I pointed at Tane with my uninjured arm. “Stop playing games. You want this more than I do.”

A small smile played on Tane’s lips.

Colby’s arm snaked around my waist and lifted me in a fireman’s lift then carried me up the stairs.

“What are you doing? I can walk.”

He carried me to the back of the yacht where the rowboat waited and stepped into it before setting me onto a bench.

I looked over his shoulder to the deck but Tane didn’t follow us.

“Take the boat back to Red. I can’t believe he let you do this. I’ll be all right, I can take care of myself.”

“Sure you can.” I tried to smile. “But they need you. Dragos is taking over the city. He knows about us, he’s the one who told Tane to hire our team. They’ll be dead soon, if not already, without you.”

His eyebrows shot up.

“Dragos has Rurik prisoner. I love him. Tane is willing to help me with a rescue if I poison Dragos.” I left out the details on how. “You’re a bonus. Even if you stay, I’ll still do this. Go help Red.”

“How do you plan to poison a Nosferatu Prime?”

“Easy, do what I do best. Be bait.” Before I climbed out of the boat I stopped and whispered in his ear. “Follow my chip.”

His sharp stare told me he understood. They would track my signal and help out.

I climbed the ladder to the deck and watched Colby row away with much more skill than I had.

Tane stepped up next to me, a long range rifle in his hands.

“What’s that for?”

“Just in case he left with you, I can’t have loose ends.” He turned to me. “Let’s go save your boyfriend.”

“You’re coming with me?” I faced Tane not trusting a thing he said or did.

“Someone has to get you inside the compound.”

“When you say compound, I envision high fences and guards.”

“You’ve an accurate imagination.” He rested the rifle against his shoulder and watched Colby row.

I tried to comb my fingers through my tangled curls and cleared my throat. “You’ll leave him be?”

Tane glanced at me, a touch of sorrow in his eyes. “He’ll come back.” Then he returned inside the boat.

For Colby’s sake, I hope he didn’t. I followed Tane to the living room.

He poured himself another martini. “We need to discuss my plan.” A wide armchair dominated the far side of the room and he sank onto it. “Once the drug affects you, your mind will not have any defenses what-so-ever to invasion and manipulation. Dragos will have control over you and be able read all your thoughts.”

“He did that during our dance at the party. I’m not looking forward to re-experience it.” I remained by the door and chewed my lower lip. The false reassurance of an exit comforted me.

“He’ll know of our plan to drug and kill him.”

This thought never occurred to me. No one worried about that at the party. Then again, I didn’t know their plans, only suspected Rurik of drugging me to control my actions. “That’s not good, Genius.”

“Don’t worry, Rabbit.” He took a sip of his drink and grinned at me. “I have it covered.”

“Why doesn’t that make me feel better? And how come you didn’t mention this before?” I crossed my arms. This boded ill for me.

He stared at me, his expression blank, from across the room while he finished his drink. “You would never have agreed. I have to alter your memories, build blocks to prevent Dragos from seeing them. This means I have to enter your mind.”

Eww.

My face must have reflected the thought since he grimaced and said, “I’m not anticipating this anymore than you are. Being surrounded by pink ponies and rainbows does not appeal to me.”

“You’re not rummaging through my brain. That’s not part of the deal.”

“It’s necessary. None of us will survive Dragos ’ wrath if he learns the truth. I will get ten times worse whatever tortures he concocts for you. It’s the only way you’ll be able to retrieve Rurik alive since Dragos will be able to read your intentions.”

I sighed and felt deflated. Rurik. He’d sacrificed himself for me and now I must do the same. “Will there be any permanent damage?” I tapped my temple with my finger.

“Altering memories is very difficult. It makes up what you are. I can only do a temporary change and the closer to reality, the better it will fit.”

I sat in the closest seat by the entrance. Tane would need to change all my memories of tonight. “Can you tell me in detail what you plan to switch?”

He shrugged. “I can wipe it away after. I will tell Dragos that I exchanged Colby for you.”

“My team would never do that.”

“He’ll believe it. Trading a useless girl for their leader will make perfect sense to him. He doesn’t have a taste for men like I do. Colby holds no appeal to him but you, on the other hand, do.”

“Yeah, he likes women with poor common sense,” I mumbled to myself.

Eric climbed the stairs and joined us. He looked like road kill. His eyes shone with fever from the dark pits encircling them. “Is Colby dead?” A pair of black plaid PJ bottoms threatened to fall from his narrow hips and a red blanket hung over his shoulders. The color made him paler.

“No, I traded Rabbit for him.” Tane lied.

Eric glanced at me as if surprised to find me in the room. “Why?”

I would have given him the one finger salute but I felt more pity for him than anger.

Tane’s eyes narrowed as he stared at his pet who visibly shrank from him.

“We’re taking Rabbit to Dragos as a gift. Start the boat and sail us there.”

Eric nodded and exited to the deck.

“Are you sure he should be driving? He might pass out.”

Tane gave me the same stare he’d directed at Eric. It froze my soul. “Let’s get this done. It won’t be long before we’re at the compound.” He gestured for me to approach.